Ghost Town Read Online Free

girl, but I used to hear her complain about it to her friends during homeroom. She had to share a bedroom withher cousin, and apparently her cousin talked in her sleep. I wondered if my dad had some sort of money problems like that girl’s family did.
    I felt Lady Azura’s stare and shook myself out of my thoughts. She was definitely looking at my hands. Was she trying to read my palms or something? I squeezed my fingers into fists.
    She grinned, like a cat finally discovering where the mouse lived. “Pretty ring,” she said. Her gnarled finger pointed at the braided silver ring I always wore.
    â€œThanks.” I bit my lip. Even if she wasn’t trying to read my palm, I decided to avoid her when Dad wasn’t around. The way she stared at me—as if she knew me—freaked me out.

CHAPTER 3
    â€œWe’ll start tomorrow,” Lady Azura said to me.
    â€œExcuse me?”
    â€œOops. I haven’t filled Sara in yet.” Dad shrugged apologetically. He turned to me. “You’ll be helping out Lady Azura too.”
    â€œMe?”
    â€œNick’s leaving tomorrow,” Lady Azura said, pursing her red lips in annoyance. “All people leave eventually.” She stared into the distance. “Not all, maybe.”
    Why is she speaking in riddles? I wondered. I’m usually not this confused. “Who’s Nick?”
    â€œNick used to help in the afternoons. He checked in on her. He ran errands, that kind of thing,” my dad explained. “But he’s going away to college soon.So you’re taking over. After school, you’ll help Lady Azura. There’s a store around the corner where you can buy her little things she may need.” Dad nodded encouragingly.
    â€œBut—”
    â€œThere’s a bike in the shed out back,” he continued before I could protest. “You can use it to get around. The town’s not that big.”
    â€œWe’ll have nice times together,” Lady Azura said. It sounded more like a command, though, than a comment. I had just vowed to avoid her, and now it looked as if I’d be spending every afternoon with her!
    After we cleared the glasses, Dad went to unpack the car. I started back up the stairs to our rooms and stopped. Suddenly, it was all too much.
    The spirits upstairs.
    Lady Azura downstairs.
    I had to get out.
    I told Dad I was going exploring. I grabbed my cell phone and my camera from the car and pulled the red bike from the shed. The bike was a little big for me. It seemed fairly new, though. I wondered if she’d bought it for Nick.
    I wobbled a bit at first, but in moments I was pedaling full speed down the driveway.
    And that’s when I almost hit him.
    â€œWhoa!” A guy in a gray T-shirt leaped out of my way.
    I braked quickly. “S-sorry,” I stuttered.
    â€œWhere you racing to?” he asked. His long brown hair fell over one eye. He was cute and probably about seventeen or eighteen.
    I didn’t answer. I’d never spoken to a cute older boy before. I didn’t know what to say. Plus, I didn’t know where I was going.
    â€œJust moved in, huh?”
    I nodded and examined my sneakers again. I wasn’t good in new situations.
    â€œOkay . . . well, have fun.” He headed toward the front porch, unconcerned about the mute twelve-year-old who almost plowed him down.
    Then I realized that must be Nick.
    I cringed and pedaled furiously down Seagate Drive. The kids two houses down were still playing in their front yard. The girl I’d seen earlier now wore enormous, oversize sunglasses. Her long, wavy darkhair reached all the way down her back. She was pitching a red kickball to two younger boys. She spotted me mid-pitch. I saw her raise her hand—to wave, to call me over—I don’t know. I didn’t slow down. The girl looked really nice, but I just couldn’t meet any more new people right now.
    At the end of my new street, I